A Win for My Brother

Last Tour-related post for this year. We've turned our TV off and it's quiet once again. Or what passes for quiet in our house.

We had a nice, teachable moment for DW this past weekend. Though he still can't figure out what all the fuss is about--he knows what "bicycle race" means: somebody wins, somebody loses, and at some point you get to ride fast.

We watched Frank and Andy Schleck race with the leaders this year. They're brothers from Luxembourg and are very close on and off the track. Though big brother Frank has worn the yellow jersey in past years, younger brother Andy was competing for this year's overall lead. Andy also wore the white jersey--best young rider. The Schleck brothers are expert climbers and excel at mountain stages. On the climb up the Col de la Colombiere, Frank paced Andy up the steep mountain. Frank set such a quick tempo they left almost everyone else behind. Andy stayed on Frank's wheel until the closing kilometers when he took over the lead to give Frank a rest. At the finish line, Andy let his brother pass him and cross the line in first place.

Andy let his brother win to thank him for all his hard work on the mountain. But they shared the victory.

The lessons weren't lost on big brother DW. Brothers work together. Brothers help each other. Brothers share. And it's good to step aside and let your brother win. Big brother Frank won the stage; little brother Andy kept his 2nd place overall lead and white jersey prize. At the finish line they both cheered. After the race--a big hug.

Thank you, Shleck brothers.

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! -- Psalm 133:1

Domestique: The Strong Servant

And speaking of the Tour de France....

A couple of years ago Versus did a feature on the domestiques, the men who spend the Tour supporting a fellow team member in his quest for glory. Although we usually only hear the names of individuals, this competition is a team sport and a strong (or weak) team makes a difference in whether or not the team leaders reach their goals. As talented as he is, even Lance Armstrong could not have won 7 tours without the help of his team.

I wrote this article for one of the FaithWriters challenges and just updated it for 2009. It's posted this week at The Cypress Times.

Domestique: The Strong Servant

(If you like it, please click on the green up arrow under "rate this article".)

Vive le Tour

As temperatures begin to soar and the reality of summer sets in, my husband and I anticipate a three week celebration of cycling's premier event. We're talkin' Tour de France.

Several years ago (was it 7 or 8?) we tuned into a cycling race to see this fellow named Lance Armstrong compete with the US Postal team. Neither one of us are cyclists, but he likes racing and I like scenery. Within a few nights we were hooked. Maybe even a little nuts.

We haven't missed a year since then. For three weeks, we're couch potatoes, recording it on our DVR so we don't miss a thing. We even watch it on vacation. When he was a baby, we actually set DW's bedtime so that we could watch the Tour. I used to keep it on all day--Paul Sherwin and Phil Liggett's British accents providing a soothing backdrop to my fussy babies. We even experience a post-race letdown. After the excitement of July, August seems long, hot and boring.

So excuse me for a few weeks, I hear the road calling.

Let the Madness Begin

It's July again and time for the Tour de France. Three weeks of cycling, thrills, spills, but, hopefully, no doping disqualifications.  There's a wonderful (but painful) commercial featuring past champions being defrocked of their titles by running the tape backwards.  An official removes Landis's jersey, stripping him of the yellow. Rasmussen rides backwards into the starting gate.  Hopefully we're in a new era and we can just enjoy the race.  

Can't explain why we like the Tour so much. We're not cyclists. We don't even know who tuned in first to (then) OLN in 2002.  But there we were one evening, BW watching racing and me watching French countryside. We were hooked. Then we got into the Lance Armstrong drama the following year. We watched him win #5, #6, and #7.  

There's a Spaniard in the yellow jersey today.  Valverde won the 1st stage.  

Only 20 more to go.